


Let's stop pretending.

by gyufan2303



Category: Block B
Genre: M/M, Romance, somewhat funny?, very very slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 16:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1148197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyufan2303/pseuds/gyufan2303
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaehyo's trying not to let his infatuation strangle him.  </p>
<p>AKA Basically, Jaehyo's a lot deeper than he let's anyone realise and it hurts. </p>
<p>Also, Zico is hot, despite his nose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's stop pretending.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if it’s ooc, i havn’t seen anything of their’s in a while :3 I really like this coupling and I really enjoyed writing them so I will probs write sth for them in the future :)

Jaehyo rubs his temples, desperate to alleviate the ringing in his head. Why is their song so loud? Obviously he loves it, he loves everything they do but unfailingly believing in that does nothing to stop the pain.

He feels a large, warm hand rubbing his back and unclenches his eyes.

“Thanks Minhyu-“ he almost reflexively says his best friend’s name before he realises that Minhyuk’s hands definitely do not feel like that.

“Thanks, Jiho,” he mutters, still hunched at the end of the couch in the waiting room and not willing to meet his dongsaeng’s eyes.

Jiho’s hand stops at the small of his back, just below his waist, feeling slightly ominous – Jaehyo mentally kicks himself at the slight rush he feels.

“Did I … do something, hyung? You know the trolling is just for the camera, I’d never want to actually hurt you.” Jiho’s voice is low and tentative in a way it hardly ever is – Woo Jiho is not careful.

“Of course not, what are you talking about?” he makes sure to inject the right amount of playfulness into his voice. This time he does turn to face Jiho, making sure his tight smile is sufficiently convincing, that it doesn’t falter when he sees Jiho’s face lined with concern.

“You’ve been acting weird around me lately, hyung. Seriously, what happened?” Jiho’s voice is still tense but frustrated now – the strain of everything they’ve been through is always double on him and Jaehyo feels guilty for taking away from the peace he’s found. It amazes Jaehyo that this boy – no, he’s not a man, he’s a boy – who’s two years younger than him can make him feel like a naughty child just by narrowing his eyes. A few years ago, he would’ve taken offence, called Jiho out on his insolence (and lost the ensuing fight because Jaehyo always loses) but by now he’s accepted that Jiho’s ‘guidance’ isn’t optional.

“Nothing’s happened, stupid,” he has to keep smiling, Jaehyo never feels anything but amiable and he has to hold on to that right now. “I’m the same as I’ve always been. I’m just trying to figure out how to keep from going flat while dancing.” He furrows his eyebrows and scrunches up his nose in what he knows is a cute frown. He’s just Jaehyo, with his shallow problems and even shallower personality. Jiho likes to think of himself as incredibly observant but Jaehyo is better than anyone at creating facades and sticking with them.

“Have you talked to Taeil hyung?”

At this point Jaehyo realises that Jiho’s hand is still on his back, large and warm and he wants to lean into it. He wants to be able to lean into Jiho’s touch, be held by him and be surrounded by his warmth but now is not the time for letting his imagination get away from him.

“I will, I will! Jeez, leave me alone. Go write some lyrics or something, stop bugging me.” He’s genuinely pouting now, happy to fall back into their usual banter. The more he tells himself that he can act normal around Jiho, the more he believes it and the easier it is to play the part of perpetually whiny Jaehyo hyung who’s forever annoyed at his leader’s constant riling.

Jiho rolls his eyes, finally pulling away and Jaehyo congratulates himself on the victory (even if it doesn’t feel like one). He doesn’t want Jiho’s warmth. He has to keep believing that. He has to keep believing that he doesn’t want Jiho because if he tells himself that he has no feelings for him, eventually he won’t.

“Whatever. Just make sure you call me when you’re practising, maybe I can help.”

“You don’t know shit about singing though.”

“Apparently neither do you.”

He huffs and slaps Jiho’s arm.

 

 

The dorm is fairly quiet, Jihoon and Taeil have left to watch a movie and Kyung and Jiho are pondering over lyrics and melodies in a bedroom as usual while Yookwon is on a date. And that is why Jaehyo has made Minhyuk sit on the couch and watch a horror movie with him because even though he’s going to be subject to nightmares for weeks to come, it’s worth it if distracts Minhyuk from the fact that the person he loves most is currently wooing someone else.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“Can’t a hyung help his dongsaeng out?”

“You’re practically the maknae.”

“Screw you.” Minhyuk snickers. Point for Jaehyo.

“Seriously though, I’m fine.”

“I remember having an unrequited love,” Jaehyo muses, thinking back to high school and the girl of his dreams choosing his best friend before he mustered up the courage to say anything. “It hurts like a bitch. I wish someone had been around to distract me when I was feeling like shit, seeing them together.”

Minhyuk smiles sympathetically and squeezes his shoulder. “Thanks for caring hyung.” Jaehyo grins back. He winks and gets up to get a glass of water.

 

 

He almost chokes when he feels hands on his shoulders.

“Asshole, you almost gave me a heart attack!” Jiho just shrugs and reaches around him to get a bag of chips from the pantry.

“If the makeup noonas rip you a new one because of your eye bags I won’t stick up for you.” Jaehyo scowls and swats him on the arm.

“Like makeup noonas would ever scold me. They feel so blessed to be working on such a great face that - ”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re beautiful, I know.” Jiho rolls his eyes. Jaehyo pouts and walks away, flinching when he feels Jiho’s hands on his waist.

“When did you get so skinny? Eat more, hyung, if you faint on stage I’ll kill you.”

Jiho feels Jaehyo stiffen and frowns. “Ok, seriously hyung, what the ғυϲƙ is wrong? Why do you freeze up every time I touch you?” Jaehyo scoffs and pulls away, glaring.

“Are you seriously getting mad right now just because I didn’t hug you back? Real mature Jiho.” Jiho grips his arms hard enough to bruise.

“I know skinship isn’t the problem so just tell me what I did wrong. I thought we were closer than this, just tell me what problem you have with me.”

“There is. No. Problem,” he says through clenched teeth, wishing he wasn’t so affected by Jiho’s proximity.

“Hyung, I swear to god - ”

“JUST SHUT UP!” Jaehyo snaps and grabs Jiho’s face, kissing him hard. Jiho’s plump limps are softer than they look, and sweeter. In an ideal world, Jaehyo could spend hours kissing them but this was far from an ideal world so instead he does the logical thing and shoves Jiho away as hard as he can, not daring to look at his face.

 

 

Jaehyo has a problem. It’s complicated and he wonders how his incredibly simple mind even managed to recognise it in it’s entirety at all but it can be summed up in the words ‘he has a crush on his off limits band mate.’ A few years ago, if you told Jaehyo someone was off limits to him, he’d have them wooed within the hour; have them eating out of his hand so expertly that they thought it was the other way around. Of course he’d pay for it later (as he did with the whole Beast fiasco) but the challenge was irresistible. So after Block B formed and Jiho became Zico, went from scruffy slob to rugged hot and from annoying bossy twat to leader that he owed so much to, he couldn’t fight his attraction any more than he could succumb to it. It scares Jaehyo, the intensity with which he wants Jiho. He sees Jiho’s confidence, feels his warmth, is in awe of his talent, and admires his drive so much and he wants to be around it all the time. He has this image in his head of them being boyfriends, Jiho taking him out for dates and buying him gifts and them going to amusement parks or recording duets together or cuddling in bed whispering to each other after hours of heated sex and it makes Jaehyo smile but it hurts at the same time because it won’t happen. That kind of happiness doesn’t exist for Jaehyo.

It’s not even that Jiho doesn’t like men, he’s seen him making out with boys at night clubs when they’re on hiatus, even caught him eying Jaehyo occasionally, and even if they break up, it won’t affect Block B too badly since they’re (Jiho’s) mature enough to move past that drama so it won’t harm the group dynamic or their co worker and friend relationship but Jaehyo can’t bring himself to admit his feelings for Jiho. He’s not even sure why. Maybe because there’s so much to Jiho, so much substance and all Jaehyo has is his shell (granted he’s very proud of it but he didn’t work much for it.) and he doesn’t think Jiho would be interested in that. Maybe it’s because for once he actually wants to be with someone long term and not only does he doubt his ability to keep him around for more than a month, there are so many obstacles to idols dating, let alone idols from the same group. Underlying it all is a totally irrational, ridiculous notion that he doesn’t deserve Jiho. Of course that’s stupid, you can’t measure what someone deserves but he can’t shake off the feeling.

So now he’s stuck in their kitchen with Jiho gaping at him, looking somewhat comical with his wide eyes and hands that don’t know where to go and he can see Minhyuk and Kyung staring at them from the doorway with similar shocked expressions and he cannot deal with this so he shoots off to his bedroom before any of them can gather their wits and hides in the closet.

 

It’s an ironic hiding place but he decided it quite by accident and he likes it so his sensibility can suck it. He does this whenever he’s upset or sad; just sits in the closet and thinks his problems through, waiting for Minhyuk to knock on the door and tell him they have a schedule to go to. It’s just easier to think in a closed off space where no one can see or and judge you and the darkness is really soothing after a life in the spotlight.

It’s going to be hard to write this off as not a big deal but Jaehyo can do it. He just needs to decide the best excuse. Maybe too much sexual frustration? He was just doing what he’d normally do when he’s in a fix? And its not exactly a secret that he thinks Jiho’s hot, despite his fat nose. Yeah, he can do this. Shallow Jaehyo is shallow, he’ll just work his way out of this awkward mess by being his adorable awkward self and then he can go back to pining for Jiho in the safety of his own head and they can get back to being Block B’s random couple that no one really sees and –

“Hyung?”

No, he can’t do this right now, go away.

“He’s probably hiding in the closet!” Minhyuk calls from the lounge. Well ғυϲƙ him.

There’s a knock on the door and Jaehyo doesn’t know if he wants to explode or shrivel up and why does he feel so much because of goddamn Jiho.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to kiss you, it was an accident, please pretend it never happened, go away,” he yells. Please work, please work.

“We need to work this out, hyung. Now. Get out of the closet so we can talk.” Jaehyo is severely miffed and fixes a fitting pout on his face before stepping out prepared to rant for ages and somehow make himself the victim but it dies in his throat when he sees Jiho’s face. He looks concerned and frustrated. Not angry or disgusted but genuinely worried.

He sort of sinks to the ground and leans against the door of his closet, not looking at him but painfully aware of how Jiho moves to sit beside him, close enough to feel the heat of his body but not touching.

“I think I have feelings for you,” he whispers before he can stop himself. Jiho stiffens and it feels like there’s splinters in his stomach. “I can get over them, it’s not a big deal, can you please just give me some space?”

“You always make it pretty obvious when you like someone.”

“I guess you’re special – shit, don’t let that go to your head. Or rather your nose, we can’t afford for it to get bigger.”

“My nose has a bigger fandom than you.”

“You fυϲker, I hate you!” He slaps Jiho’s shoulder hard and gets up to stomp off dramatically, relieved to have an excuse to put this incident behind him. Unfortunately Jiho grabs his hand and yanks him back so walking away isn’t an option.

“Why exactly do you like me? I didn’t think I was your type.”

Jaehyo stares at him for a few seconds, not expecting that question at all.

“Um.” What is he supposed to say? That he’s constantly in awe of Jiho? That he thinks he’s amazing? He can’t, it’s way too direct and embarrassing.

“You’re really warm,” he mumbles awkwardly, hugging his knees to his chest and looking at the carpet. He’s never going to live this down. 

“I don’t… have feelings for you.”

Jaehyo freezes. He moulds his face into a mask of indifference and then almost revels in the way it feels like there’s something digging into his chest and squeezing his rib cage.

“I mean, you’re really hot and kind of nice when you’re not drowning in your prince complex but it feels like you’re not being genuine around me. Like the only time I see you is when you think I’m not looking?” Jaehyo doesn’t know how to respond to that, though he’s grateful that Jiho’s not trying to rub salt into the wound even if he still feels like his chest is on fire.

“Do you think if we dated, you could be honest with me? No facades?” Count on Jiho to put a clamp on his heart and then snap it the next minute, all without meaning to. He looks up to see Jiho looking at him challengingly but also encouragingly. Because Jiho always finds a way to give him strength and get over himself and Jaehyo is certain that he’s at least a little in love and he can’t afford to not give it a shot. It might blow up in his face but it could be the best thing in the world and he can’t let that slip through his fingers.

“I don’t know. I could try?” His voice is unreasonably hoarse and his embarrassment almost dampens his hope. But Jiho smiles at him and he finds himself smiling back and he thinks it’s going to be okay.

“For now I’ll just go out with you on the grounds that you’re a great kisser.”

fυϲking Woo Jiho.


End file.
